Fluid level gauge



y 1951 R. R. FACCHIN] 2,554,100

FLUID LEVEL GAUGE Filed July 28, 1948 INVEN'IOR.

790 30 zed/ p15 cbini a ATTORNEY Paten tec l May 22, 1951 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE FLUID LEVEL GAUGE Rigo Ralph Facchini, Kington, Mass.

Application July 28, 1948, Serial No. 41,125

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in fluid level gauges andthe like, and particularly to gauges operating on the principle utilizinthe natural law that liquids seek their own level, and has for its primeobject the provision of visible tube means which is of distinctlysimple, compact, and light weight construction and also firepreventionmeans that will be fool-proof and unfailing in emergency. The inventionfurther includes particularly simple means of attachment to any standardfluid container for use under any of the situations which such gaugesare used.

The invention consists in the novel features and in combination andconstruction hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Universally, tanks or drums have been used for the storage of coal oil,or what is commonly termed range or fuel oil, and likewise suchcontainers are also used for the storage of other chemical liquids suchas alcohol, naphtha, and like compounds.

Heretofore it has been customary for the indicators for such drums ortanks to be fitted into the top lateral bung of such containers and forthe indications of the fluid level within the container to be shown byvarious costly mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic devices that fromtime to time require attention and repairs. My present invention,however, obviates the above difficulties by comprising an outer plastictube with a smaller plastic tube coaxially disposed within its annularchannel and having within its own annular channel a vividly coloredbuoyant float indicator, the inner tube having at its uppermostextremity a fusible metal fire prevention plug molded of so-calledUnderwriters metal, and provided with air vent means, which plug willmelt at a predetermined temperature below the flash point of thecontainers contents.

At the lower end of the inner plastic tube are positioned slots wherebythe fluid within the container may flow upwardly and inwardly and causethe vividly colored buoyant float to indicate the containers level byfloatation upon the surface of the fluid within the annular channel,said level being identical with that within the container by reason ofthe natural law that liquids seek their own level. Said plastic tubesare attached to the container by means of an adapter-coupling suppliedwith male and female threaded portions allowing it to be threadedlyengaged in the lower bung of the container, and further permitting theinsertion of a conventional drum faucet in its female threaded portionto allow withdrawal of the containers contents at will.

In said adapted coupling having a recessed portion axially disposedtherein and extending vertically within said recessed portion is fitteda spring-actuated safety valve mechanism, which valve is held in openposition by the pressure applied to its uppermost portion by the innerplastic tube, said outer and inner plastic tubes being held firmly andliquid-tight within the recessed portion by means of washers positionedconcentric to the circumference of the outer plastic tube, and securedby means of a hexagon nut threadedly attached to said recessed portion,the entire gauge assembly being held firmly in place by means of arectilinear clamp attached to the upper rim of the container and held inplace by means of a machine screw, said plastic tubes passing therethruby means of cylindrical apertures therein and having upon the uppermostportion of the outer plastic tube a metal cap provided with adjustablescrew means and to maintain the required pressure to hold the safetyvalve open under ordinary conditions and allow admission and change oflevel within the container to be recorded by the vividly colored buoyantfloat within the annular channel of the inner control tube.

In event of flre surrounding the container, the aforesaid fusible metalplug disposed in the top portion of the inner plastic tube will fuse ormelt at a predetermined temperature and automatically close the safetyvalve positioned at the base of said tube, preventin the containerscontents from flowing outwardly and, thus, causing fire or explosion.Likewise, should either tube become broken b mechanical means, therelease of pressure upon the spring of the safety valve will au-'-tomatically close the safety valve, preventing the containers contentsfrom running outward int the surrounding area.

The rectilinear top clamp is provided with cylindrical apertures thruits plane surfaces to allow the gauge to be adapted to drums orcontainers of varying diameter, for there is a great variance in thediameter of fluid containers of the tank and drum type.

For many years drums and containers of fiftyfive and one-hundred-and-tengallon capacity have been in use domestically and industrially for thestorage of petroleum fuel for oil burners and other uses, and but fewsuch containers have been equipped with means for determining the amountof such fluid within the container, save by the insertion of a graduatedruler or stick inserted in the top lateral bung thereof, which rulerupon being withdrawn designates the level within the tank as shown bythe moist line left by the containers contents. Mechanisms ar nowavailable for determining such fluid levels.

However, such devices involve complicated mechanisms which are costly tomanufacture and purchase, and most of these devices require some serviceattention from time to time, due to the methods used in theirconstruction to convey knowledge of the containers level to visiblemeans without the container.

The simplicity of the construction of my invention, which works on awell known law of nature, that is, fluids seek their own level, makes ita device that not onl is economically manufactured but also may be soldat equally low prices, yet it has no parts that normall requireattention, once the device is installed on any container.

My device allows the user visible means of determining the exact levelof the fluid in the container at all times, and likewise allows the tankwagon operator to gauge his filling operations, and the user to know theexact amount of fluid supplied to him by the delivery medium.

In large poultry establishments using oil-fired incubators, the use ofmy device has been found of great value, for large fields of henbrooders having within each brooder house an oil-fired incubatorrequires a container or tank for each incubator, which must never beallowed to become empty during the incubation period. My device givesvisible knowledge of the amount of fuel in each of the many tanks orcontainers, and allows the caretaker or tank wagon man to immediatelyascertain as to whether oil is needed, and also allows him to estimatewhen each refill i needed to insure continuous heat to the eggs in theincubator.

In the home, such a device is of great help in that it is not necessaryto soil the hands or garments in gauging the tank, as is invariably thecase when the yard-stick method of gauging is used, my gauge givingimmediate visible knowledge of the fluid level in the container.

The advantages of my instant invention ma be summarized briefly asfollows, wherein I provide a liquid fuel gauge, which:

1. Replaces gauging devices entailin intricate mechanical, electrical,and hydraulic means that require some service and repair from time totime.

2. May be manufactured and sold at a low cost.

3. Actually represents visibly the level of fluid content within thecontainer to which it is attached.

.4. Includes accurate means of determining the amount of fluid deliveredby a tank wagon opera.- tor.

5. Is not affected by changes of atmospheric temperature.

6. Features safety means against fire or mechanical damage to the gaugeglass.

I. Has a non-breakable indicating gauge tube.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodie ment of my invention, manymodifications may be had without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction set forth, but dc.- sire to avail myself of all changeswithin the scope of the appended claims.

With reference to the drawing, in which like numerals signify likeparts:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of my gauge attached to a standardoil drum;

Fig. 2 is a fractional vertical sectional view of the top clamp, screwcap, and fire-prevention plu greatly enlarged; and

Fig. 3 is a fractional vertical sectional view of the fire valveassembly greatly enlarged for clarity.

Referring to the drawing, I is an adaptercoupling supplied with male andfemale threaded portions and a recessed portion axially disposedupwardly and carrying a male threaded portion on its circumference. 2 isa conventional oil drum; 3 is a lower bung of the conventional drum; 2and 4 is an outer plastic gauge tube; 5 is an inner plastic gauge andvalve control tube; 6 is the rectilinear clamp; I is a machine screw; 8is a metal screw cap valve adjustment; 9 a metal plug molded ofUnderwriters metal which fuses at a predetermined temperature; II! is avividly colored float of buoyant material; I I is an oil level withinthe drum 2 and as shown in the inner tube 5 by float I0; I2 is a cupcontaining the safety valve assembly; I3 is a flat headed rivet; I4 is apyramid compression spring; I5 is a composition valve washer; I6 is anon-corrosive metal washer.

I1 is a cylindrical aperture of a diameter larger than that of the rivetI3, allowing fluid from drum 2 to enter or recede from plastic tubeassembly. I8 are slots cut in the base of tube 5 to allow in.- gress andegress of drum fluids to annual channel of said tube 5, which floats thecolored indicator Ill and indicates the level I I in the container. I9is a hexagon nut securing the bottom of the gauge assembly firmly inplace. 20 are composition washers surrounding the circumference of tube4 and held in position liquid-tight by the pressure exerted by hexagonnut I9; and 25 are slots cut in the top portion of tube 5 to allow airto be expelled or drawn in due to the change of level in drum 2.

My gauge is attached to any standard drum or container by the insertionof male-threaded portion of the adapter-coupling I into the lower frontbung 3 of the drum or container 2 and a conventional faucet (not shown)inserted into the female threaded portion of said adaptercoupling toallow withdrawal of the container's liquid therefrom, saidadapter-coupling I having an annular channel running axially therethruand having an uptake recessed portion Vere tically positioned thereonwith a threaded portion at its upper circumference permitting the ap-.-plication of a hexagon nut I9.

Outer plastic tube 4 and inner plastic tube 5 are assembled with tube 5positioned within the annular channel of tube 4, and washer 29 composedof composition packing material are slipped over the outer circumferenceof tube 4 at its lower end.

The assembled plastic tubes 4 and 5 are then inserted into the valve cupI2, tube 4 positioned at the extreme bottom of cap I2, and tube 5 withits fluid slots I8 positioned on the flat portion of rivet I3, whichflat-headed rivet is supported by means of a pyramid compression springI4, and which passes downwardly thru aperture I! of the cylindricalbottom of cap I2; and thru which aperture the fluid within the containerflows freely to the gauge tubes above. Also below the bottom of thecylindrical cap I2 is supported a valve-seat washer I5, comprised of acomposition packing material and held on said rivet I3 by means of ametal washer I5 and the round head of rivet I3. The valve-seat washer I5is held away from the bottom of the cap I2 in normal operation by reasonof the pressure exerted upon the flat head of rivet I3 by the inner tube5, and thru such opening the fluid from the container flows upwardlythru aperture I! and thus thru slots IS in tube 5 reaching the levelwithin the container, which level H is recorded by means of the vividlycolored buoyant float Ill, indicating the true fluid level within thecontainer at II, II.

Plastic tubes 4 and 5 assembled with washer 29 are inserted into thevalve cap l2, and the entire assembly is inserted into the recessedvertical portion of the adapter-coupling l and the hexagon nut I9tightened in place.

The plastic tube 5 inserted into the annular channel of tube 4 andcarrying within its annular channel the vividly colored buoyant float iis secured firmly and liquid-tight in the recessed vertical portion ofadapter-coupling l by means of packing washers 20 and hexagon nut l9,and gauge tubes 4 and 5 positioned vertically on the face of drum 2 areheld in place by means of a rectilinear clamp 6 secured to thecontainers upper rim by the machine screw I, said rectilinear clamphaving pierced thru its plane surfaces apertures permitting the tube 4with its inner tube 5 to pass therethru. The top portion of tube 4 isprovided with thread means by which adjustable screw cap 8 may bethreadedly positioned to apply pressure on fireprevention. plug 9 andtube 5, which is provided with vent means 25 to allow air to be expelledor drawn in due to the change of level of the fluid within the containeror drum 2.

I claim.

1. A fluid level gauge of the kind described, comprising an adapterconstructed to be attached to the lower portion of a tank to permitliquid flow therethru, an outer gauge tube secured to said adapter, aninner pressure control tube of less diameter than the interior of theouter tube, a fusible plug attached to adjacent ends of both tubes andholding the said tubes in spaced relation, said inner tube beingaxiallydisposed within the outer tube and forming an annular channel betweensaid tubes, both tubes being normally open to fluid flow from saidadapter, a buoyant indicator floatable within said inner tube, a capsecured to said adapter and H to the bottom portion of the outer tube,said cap having a central opening thru the bottom, a valve stem slidablyfitted in said opening and having on its upper end a valve seat adaptedto register with the open end of the inner tube, and a valve washer onthe opposite end of said stem of suflicient area to close the openingthru said cap, a coiled spring interposed between the valve seatengaging the inner tube and the cap, said spring automatically actuatingthe valve closure to close the fluid opening thru the cap upon breakageof the inner tube.

2. A fluid level gauge as set forth in claim 1, wherein a fusible plugis fitted in the top of the inner tube and secured to said outer tube,whereby on melting of the fusible plug the inner tube will be forcedupwardly by the coiled spring, and close the valve washer against saidopening in the cap.

3; A fluid level gauge of the kind described, comprising an outer gaugetube, a cup-shaped cap attached to the bottom end of said tube andhaving a central opening thru said cap, an inner pressure-controlledtube of less diameter than the interior of the outer tube, said innertube being axially disposed within the outer tube, both tubes beingnormally open to fluid flow thru the opening in said cap, a buoyantindicator fioatable within said inner tube to indicate fluid level, avalve stem passing thru the opening in said cap and supporting the innertube, said stem having an outer valve washer of greater area than theopening thru the cap, an expansible spring bearing between the capadjacent the central opening and the inner valve stem support in contactwith the inner tube, a fusible plug at the opposite end of the innertube and attached to the adjacent walls of the outer tube, whereby uponrelease of the fusible plug said spring will move the inner tubeupwardly and close the valve washer against the opening thru the cap.

RIGO RALPH FACCHINI.

No references cited.

